How Microsoft Plan To Get Its Groove Back With Win7

Posted by kdawson on Friday April 04, @11:02AM
from the you-have-no-compatibility-get-over-it dept.

shawnz tips a blog post up at thebetaguy that details Windows 7's huge departure from the past, and the bold strategy Microsoft will be employing to maintain backward compatibility. Hint: Apple did it seven years back. There are interesting anti-trust implications too. "Windows 7 takes a different approach to the componentization and backwards compatibility issues; in short, it doesn't think about them at all. Windows 7 will be a from-the-ground-up packaging of the Windows codebase; partially source, but not binary compatible with previous versions of Windows."

[+] windows (tagging beta)

New Dune Movie Confirmed

Posted by kdawson on Friday April 04, @10:29AM
from the mouse-shadow dept.

bowman9991 writes "Peter Berg will be directing a new big-budget Dune movie from Paramount. SFFMedia reports that 'although there were some doubts that they were going to get it,' the producers have secured the rights to the Dune novel from Frank Herbert's estate and are looking for writers to provide a screenplay that is true to the original text. Can't wait!"

[+] dune, movies, scifi (tagging beta)

World governments.

History of Religion

Neat animated map of world religions

Real World Metaphor

In computer GUI design is often a metaphor for real-world things. This often helps us understand better how to interact with the computer. Here is an alternative take on a computer "desktop".

Voiceless Communication

Basically it looks like Texas Instruments has created a device that picks up information traveling from the brain to the vocal chords and interperets that vocal data. So, even without actually speaking, when you think about talking- it picks up the what you want to say and translates that into actual speech. This could be a very compelling computer interface method as well- where you could "think" and ask a question of Google, for example.

This was an interesting watch on an unlikely subject

From Tomorrow's Trends An old TED video from Malcom Gladewell on spaghetti sauce that is interesting...

A neat video to show how well our brain pays attention to, well, not quite everything

How well does your brain allow you to pay attention? Check out this commercial. I found this on Tomorrow's trends. It took me about 3 times to notice what was right in front of me:)

Spring Flooding In Mid-Western US Forecast, But People Still Build On Floodplains

ScienceDaily (Apr. 4, 2008) — Midwesterners have to be wondering: Will April be the cruelest month? Patterns in the Midwest this spring are eerily reminiscent of 1993 and 1994, back-to-back years of serious flooding. The great flood of 1993 caused nearly $20 billion of economic damage, damaging or destroying more than 50,000 homes and killing at least 38 people.

Read More

Drug Prevents Abnormalities That Lead To Seizures, Mouse Study Shows

ScienceDaily (Apr. 4, 2008) — Current medications for seizures are comparable to over-the-counter cold and flu remedies: They block symptoms, but don't significantly affect the underlying illnesses that cause them.

Read More

Sudden 'Ecosystem Flips' Imperil World's Poorest Regions, Say Water Experts

ScienceDaily (Apr. 4, 2008) — Modern agriculture and land-use practices may lead to major disruptions of the world's water flows, with potentially sudden and dire consequences for regions least able to cope with them researchers at the Stockholm University-affiliated Stockholm Resilience Centre and McGill University have warned.

Read More

Congress to the EPA: we're tired of waiting too

by Melissa Schober
Apr 4th 2008 @ 9:11AM

Filed under: News, Polit-eco, Climate Change

As I mentioned in a previous post, 18 states, two cities and 13 environmental groups are suing the EPA over their failure to issue regulations on greenhouse gas emissions following last year's Supreme Court ruling.

Piling on in what is most certainly becoming a trying week for EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson, the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming voted, 12-0, to issue a subpoena for EPA documents showing the agency's "progress in making the 'endangerment' finding and proposing national emissions standards."

While Henry Waxman, chair the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, issues (or threatens to issue) subpoenas like they're going out of style, Ed Markey is a different story.

In his opening statement, Chair Markey noted that in his 32 years as a member of Congress, this is the first time he has ever found it necessary to issue a subpoena. He went on to say, "Paper is the traditional one year anniversary gift. On this anniversary of Massachusetts v. EPA, we're sending a piece of paper -- a subpoena -- to Stephen Johnson and the EPA. The modern one year anniversary gift is a clock, and we're trying to make sure this administration doesn't run out the clock on their term without taking action to protect the climate."

The EPA has 10 days to comply with the request to handover documents to the committee. If they miss that deadline, the next step is for the House to vote on a contempt citation (in the form of a resolution). If the resolution passes, the contempt citation is referred to the U.S Attorney for the District of Columbia and a grand jury impaneled.

Darwin meets PC gold-stripping alchemist, Darwin wins

Posted Apr 4th 2008 5:56AM by Thomas Ricker
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Death isn't funny, but it's often absurd. A man in Tulsa accidentally poisoned himself while using mercury to "extract gold from computer parts." See, mercury can be used to dissolve gold from discarded PC boards. You then heat the runoff to evaporate the mercury. Guess what though, inhaling mercury is extremely toxic. So much so that the man is now dead and his residence must be gutted before its livable again. Look we know the value of the dollar ain't what it used to be, but you'll need a ton (literally) of old system boards to extract a single ounce of gold. Should you, however, stumble upon the Philosopher's Stone in your quest -- well, immortality solved.

Neuromarketers Pick the Brains of Consumers

Posted by Soulskill on Thursday April 03, @11:04PM
from the ask-me-no-questions-and-i'll-tell-you-no-lies dept.

Pickens points out a story at The Guardian about the development of neuromarketing, the method by which advertisers track signals inside the brain to roughly extrapolate how a consumer reacts to products and advertisements. We've discussed this technique in the past, but now consulting firms are appearing who have begun to use this research to increase the effectiveness of their marketing practices. The author also notes a paper which elaborates on the scientific details (PDF). "At McLean Hospital, a prestigious psychiatric institution run by Harvard University, an advertising agency recently sponsored an experiment in which the brains of half-a-dozen young whiskey drinkers were scanned. The goal, according to a report in Business Week, was 'to gauge the emotional power of various images, including college kids drinking cocktails on spring break, twentysomethings with flasks around a campfire, and older guys at a swanky bar'. The results were used to fine-tune an ad campaign for the maker of Jack Daniels."

FBI Reports All-Time High In Internet Fraud Losses

Posted by Soulskill on Friday April 04, @02:07AM
from the hello-sir-madam dept.

eldavojohn writes "While the number of cases dropped, the amount of money lost to internet fraud reached an all-time high in 2007, a new government report states. 'According to the 2007 Internet Crime Report, the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received 206,884 complaints of crimes perpetrated over the Internet during 2007. Of the complaints received, more than 90,000 were referred to law enforcement around the nation, amounting to nearly $240 million in reported losses. This represents a $40 million increase in reported losses from complaints referred to law enforcement in 2006.' The top ruses used by the fraudsters involved pets, romance and secret shoppers. The original report[Large PDF] is available online, and it contains some interesting graphs. One indicates that the two largest types of fraud are Auction Fraud and Non-delivery, which combine for over 60% of all cases. As Computerworld notes, men are more likely to fall for scams than women, and over 30% of losses are between $1,000 and $5,000. The report also contains data about the location of the perpetrators (Nigeria only accounts for 5.7%), age demographics, and contact methods."

First manned flight using hydrogen battery doesn't cause rain, only tears

Posted Apr 4th 2008 8:28AM by Thomas Ricker
Filed under: Transportation

You're looking at the world's first manned flight powered by a hydrogen battery. Boeing's prop-driven aircraft set the lone pilot aloft for about 20 minutes at a speed of 100-kilometres (62 miles) an hour at an altitude of about 1,000 meters. The 800-kilogram (1,760-pound) craft with a 16.3-meter (51-foot) wingspan is capable of flying for about 45 minutes under the power of its hydrogen fuel cells -- the airplane's batteries provided an additional boost for takeoff. The fuel cells harvest the energy produced by the chemical transformation of hydrogen and oxygen into water -- that makes the craft clean as well as near silent. Unfortunately, the technology is nowhere near the point of powering commercial aircraft. At best, the fuel-cells could act as a secondary power source... in another 20 years.

Yikes! My Servers are drowning

New Service Maps Speed Traps By Cell Phone

Posted by kdawson on Thursday April 03, @01:31PM
from the i-didn't-do-it-nobody-saw-me-you-can't-prove-anything dept.

esocid writes "In a modern equivalent of flashing your headlights to warn other motorists of police speed traps, you can now warn fellow drivers with a cell phone or personal digital assistant about speed traps, red-light cameras, and other threats to ticket-free driving. And as you approach a known threat, you'll get an audio alert on your mobile device. The developer of Trapster, Pete Tenereillo, said the system, which requires punching in a few keys such as '#1' to submit information to Trapster's database, should comply with laws banning talking on cell phones. The free service can automatically detect location using mobile devices' GPS capabilities or tap their Wi-Fi and get location from a database run by Skyhook Wireless. Police officials that Tenereillo has talked to haven't complained about the service because it inevitably encourages drivers to slow down."

GreenTech: Sola Unagi is a solar power generator in a briefcase

by Brad Linder
Apr 3rd 2008 @ 10:01AM

Filed under: Gadgets and Tech, GreenTech, Alternative Energy

If the $25,000 Powercube 600 we showed you yesterday is out of your price range, perhaps the Sola Unagi briefcase solar power generator will fit your budget better. This briefcase-sized (and shaped) solar power generator can be yours for about $1150, with discounts if you buy in bulk. It's also much lighter than the 1 ton Powercube, at just 10 kilograms.

While the Powercube can pump up to 3500 Watts of electricity to power pretty much everything in your house, the Sola Unagi is a bit more modest, with a 400 Watt output capacity. But that's enough juice to power a laptop for up to 6 hours, a small refrigerator for up to 4 hours, or a lighting system for over 10 hours.

The Sola Unagi is designed by Fuji Africa for use in parts of Africa where electricity isn't always available, and the company is targeting it toward doctors, field researchers, universities, farmers, shop owners, and soldiers who might need a reliable source of electricity.

[via The Red Ferret Journal]

PowerCube 600: the 2000-pound solar-powered generator

Posted Apr 3rd 2008 10:05AM by Darren Murph
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Curious designs and solar-powered wares seem to go hand in hand, but honestly, the PowerCube 600 is going to be hard to top. In what appears to be a ginormous (and inexplicably uncomfortable) recliner, the creators have managed to shove enough solar panels in this foldable, "portable" generator to crank out 600-watts of power. You'll also find 3,500-watts of continuous inverter output, 2,400 amp hours of battery storage and a rugged / watertight case. Even when closed up, this beast measures 72- x 124- x 50-inches, and while it technically is a mobile solution, 2,000-pounds isn't exactly what you want to lug around each time you feel like hosting a LAN party in Zzyzx, California. Forget the fact that you'll need to phone up Reluminati in order to acquire a price -- just think of the shipping!

James Bond drives a what?

by Josh Loposer
Apr 3rd 2008 @ 9:33AM

Filed under: Cars and Transportation, Celebrities, Fashion, Movies, TV and Books

Throughout his decades of crime fighting, James Bond has seldom strayed from the flashy and gas-hogging Aston Martin. In Casino Royale, Bond began his assignment driving the notably less cool more economical Ford Mondeo. In the next installment -- Quantum of Solace -- AutoBlogGreen is reporting that James will be slumming it even harder in the 45mpg Ford Ka.

I don't how the writers are justifying 007's fascination with the Ford Motor Company -- since their vehicles don't exactly fall in line with his taste for the finer things in life -- but apparently Ford paid about $35 million to get the 45mpg Ka in the picture. So, I guess they'll figure it out. So what's the deal? Is James Bond turning over a new leaf?

In my opinion, if Bond is going green, he definitely wouldn't be driving a Ford economy car. I could maybe, maybe see him driving a Prius or a Mercedes Bluetec, but ideally he'd be driving a Tesla Roadster like Iron Man. I guess Tesla didn't have the ad budget.

[via Autobloggreen]

Vectrix zero emission scooter: From zero to green in 7 seconds

by Brad Linder
Apr 3rd 2008 @ 9:02AM

Filed under: Cars and Transportation

While motorcycles and scooters tend to get better mileage than your typical SUV, or even compact car, they usually still chug a little gas an spurt out a bit of gray stuff. The Vectrix ZEV, on the other hand, is 100% electric, meaning you get no tailpipe emissions (which makes sense since there's no tailpipe).

The Vectrix ZEV is pretty zippy. It's able to go from 0 to 50 miles per hour in seven seconds, and has a top speed of 62 miles per hour. You can travel about 50 miles on a single charge, so this scooter's obviously meant more for city travel than cross-country trips.

You can pick up a Vectrix ZEV for $10,000 to $12,000.

Administration Claimed Immunity To 4th Amendment

Posted by kdawson on Thursday April 03, @08:32AM
from the unreasonable-searches-and-seizures dept.

mrogers writes "The EFF has uncovered a troubling footnote in a newly declassified Bush Administration memo, which asserts that 'our Office recently [in 2001] concluded that the Fourth Amendment had no application to domestic military operations.' This could mean that the Administration believes the NSA's warrantless wiretapping and data mining programs are not governed by the Constitution, which would cast Administration claims that the programs did not violate the Fourth Amendment in a whole new light — after all, you can't violate a law that doesn't apply. The claimed immunity would also cover other DoD agencies, such as CIFA, which carry out offline surveillance of political groups within the United States."

Daily Caffeine Protects Your Brain

Posted by samzenpus on Thursday April 03, @07:52AM
from the it's-what-brains-crave dept.

Chroniton writes "The BBC has a story that many Slashdot geeks will be happy to hear: the caffeine from a cup of coffee a day can help prevent Dementia, by blocking the damage of cholesterol. (At least in rabbits) This is in addition to the already-known protection against Alzheimer's Disease. More research is needed to test the effect on humans."

[+] science, coffee, rabbits (tagging beta)

Microsoft Told to Pay Tax on Licence Fee

Posted by samzenpus on Thursday April 03, @12:20AM
from the we-do-whatever-is-cheaper dept.

MissingRainbow writes "To avoid paying taxes in India, Microsoft wanted a court to believe that it is selling its product and that there are no royalty payments involved. Their own EULA worked against them in this particular case however as it states, "the product is licensed, not sold". The court ruled against them."